NHS

Peer Support Worker


Pay22,816.00 - 24,336.00 / year
LocationExeter/England
Employment typePart-Time

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  • Job Description

      Req#: C9369-24-0328?language=en&page=831&sort=publicationDateDesc

      Job summary

      We are looking for part-time Peer Support Workers with essential lived experience/expert by experience of the criminal justice system to join the Criminal Justice Liaison & Diversion (CJL&D) Service for Devon.

      This initiative has been introduced across Liaison & Diversion teams, with a view to service improvement led by the people that use them and to widen the pool of people in the NHS by establishing a vocational pathway.

      CJL&D is a very different service from other community mental health services and operates across Devon. We are an all age service and sit at the start of someone's pathway through the criminal justice process usually when they come to the attention of the police and are arrested. Practitioners conduct triage assessments, signpost and support that person on their journey through the criminal justice pathway until an outcome is reached. Peer support workers are key to helping and supporting a person on that journey. We work with people with all vulnerabilities including substance misuse, homelessness, social issues, learning disabilities and mental health. The aim of the service is to improve health and well-being, reduce vulnerability, and the risk of re-offending. Practitioners have to use many skills to achieve positive outcomes for the people that use the service. We work very closely with our partner agencies including the police, courts, probation and prisons. Our service is expanding and taking on exciting new initiatives all the time.

      Main duties of the job

      You will work as part of a multi-agency team alongside Support Time & Recovery Workers and qualified Senior Mental Health Practitioners as part of the CJL&D Service and contribute to the support and brief targeted interventions for people coming into contact with Criminal Justice agencies eg police custody, courts and probation.

      You will actively engage and work with a small number of individuals with offending histories combined with a wide range of mental health and social problems who may also have co-existing complex needs including homelessness, substance misuse, significant risk to self or others, are socially excluded and at times may present with extremely challenging behaviours.

      Ensuring that individuals engage with the services they have been referred into, by supporting them to attend relevant appointments. Working with our ST&R Workers to obtain the best outcome for our clients. Provide time limited 1:1 support to clients giving advice, information and/or support to access a wide range of agencies and services that can provide support and advise with issues such as housing, social isolation and exclusion, debt management, training, education and employment.

      Support people who typically find it hard to access and utilise community services and resources. Advocate and liaise with relevant community services.

      Working as part of Devon Partnership NHS Trust, we expect all our staff to recognise the equal value of everyone involved in service design and delivery.

      About us

      About Devon Partnership Trust

      We provide mental health, learning disability and neurodiversity services, as well as a range of specialist & secure services for the wider south west region & nationally. We are passionate about promoting good mental health & wellbeing. We strive to use the expertise & resources within our organisation, and through our partnerships, to deliver high quality services that are safe & focused on people's recovery.

      We are committed to developing a culture of coproduction, involving patients, families & carers in everything we do

      Our values

      We not only recruit based on qualifications & experience - we recruit individuals who possess & demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. These include such attributes as showing a commitment to quality of care, improving lives of others, giving respect, dignity & compassion. We can bring those values to life in our everyday tasks by giving a smile; making time for people; challenging ourselves & others, & being open to new ideas.

      We are committed to being an inclusive employer & applications are encouraged & welcomed from all sections of the community, regardless of any protected characteristics as governed by the Equality Act 2010. Part time & flexible working applications will be considered & supported, where possible. We particularly encourage applicants with lived experience of mental health conditions, neurodiversity or learning disabilities. We are a Disability Confident Leader.

      Date posted

      10 April 2024

      Pay scheme

      Agenda for change

      Band

      Band 3

      Salary

      £22,816 to £24,336 a year

      Contract

      Permanent

      Working pattern

      Part-time, Flexible working

      Reference number

      C9369-24-0328

      Job locations

      Probation Service

      New North Road

      Exeter

      EX4 4EP


      Devon Probation Service

      11 Gibbon Lane

      Plymouth

      Devon

      PL4 8BR


      Job description

      Job responsibilities

      Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details on this role.

      Job description

      Job responsibilities

      Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details on this role.

      Person Specification

      Experience

      Essential

      • At least 2 years experience of working with people with complex co-morbidities and vulnerabilities eg mental health, learning disability, ADHD, autism, offending behaviours, substance misuse, homelessness, debt etc.
      • At least 1 years experience of working with people who are hard to engage through their vulnerability, who are challenging in presentation OR employ risk behaviours including self-harm.
      • Working within a community setting in either the statutory or voluntary sector.
      • Ability to assess and manage risk.
      • Lone working with people who use services.

      Desirable

      • Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment.

      Knowledge

      Essential

      • An awareness of other relevant legislation, e.g. Childrens Act, Criminal Justice, Housing, Benefits, Social care.
      • An awareness of Health and Criminal Justice Organisations working with Adults & young people e.g. Probation, Youth Offending Services (YOS), Mental Health & Learning Disability Services, Drug & Alcohol services, Child & Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS).

      Desirable

      • A basic understanding of Mental Health Act (2007), Mental Capacity Act (2005), The Care Act (2014).

      Skills

      Essential

      • Good listening skills and ability to deal with complex or sensitive information.
      • Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings (Verbal & written).
      • IT Skills.
      • Able to own problems and get involved in the solutions.
      • Ability to work without direct supervision.
      • Ability to use own initiative and to work independently.
      • Ability to assess situations quickly and decide upon the appropriate course of action.
      • Good general standard of health.
      • Mobility throughout the area covered by service
      • Computer literacy.

      Additional Criteria

      Essential

      • A *Standard / Enhanced DBS Check will be required for this role alongside Police Vetting.

      Qualifications

      Essential

      • Basic Education Essential.
      • Relevant lived experience as stated in the job advert.
      • To complete Care Certificate training within the first 3-6 months of joining unless already obtained

      Desirable

      • Other evidence of training or development relevant to working within mental health settings (statutory or voluntary).
      Person Specification

      Experience

      Essential

      • At least 2 years experience of working with people with complex co-morbidities and vulnerabilities eg mental health, learning disability, ADHD, autism, offending behaviours, substance misuse, homelessness, debt etc.
      • At least 1 years experience of working with people who are hard to engage through their vulnerability, who are challenging in presentation OR employ risk behaviours including self-harm.
      • Working within a community setting in either the statutory or voluntary sector.
      • Ability to assess and manage risk.
      • Lone working with people who use services.

      Desirable

      • Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency environment.

      Knowledge

      Essential

      • An awareness of other relevant legislation, e.g. Childrens Act, Criminal Justice, Housing, Benefits, Social care.
      • An awareness of Health and Criminal Justice Organisations working with Adults & young people e.g. Probation, Youth Offending Services (YOS), Mental Health & Learning Disability Services, Drug & Alcohol services, Child & Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS).

      Desirable

      • A basic understanding of Mental Health Act (2007), Mental Capacity Act (2005), The Care Act (2014).

      Skills

      Essential

      • Good listening skills and ability to deal with complex or sensitive information.
      • Ability to communicate with a wide range of professionals from various settings (Verbal & written).
      • IT Skills.
      • Able to own problems and get involved in the solutions.
      • Ability to work without direct supervision.
      • Ability to use own initiative and to work independently.
      • Ability to assess situations quickly and decide upon the appropriate course of action.
      • Good general standard of health.
      • Mobility throughout the area covered by service
      • Computer literacy.

      Additional Criteria

      Essential

      • A *Standard / Enhanced DBS Check will be required for this role alongside Police Vetting.

      Qualifications

      Essential

      • Basic Education Essential.
      • Relevant lived experience as stated in the job advert.
      • To complete Care Certificate training within the first 3-6 months of joining unless already obtained

      Desirable

      • Other evidence of training or development relevant to working within mental health settings (statutory or voluntary).

      Disclosure and Barring Service Check

      This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

      Employer details

      Employer name

      Devon Partnership NHS Trust

      Address

      Probation Service

      New North Road

      Exeter

      EX4 4EP


      Employer's website

      https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

      Employer details

      Employer name

      Devon Partnership NHS Trust

      Address

      Probation Service

      New North Road

      Exeter

      EX4 4EP


      Employer's website

      https://www.dpt.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

  • About the company

      National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly-funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). The founding principles were that services should be comprehensive, universal and free at the point of delivery—a health service based on clinical need, not ability to pay. Each service provides a comprehensive range of health services, free at the point of use for people ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom apart from dental treatment and optical care.